Profile of a Parish Model Family
Jogy and Lorie Mantaring were married in October 25, 1952 and have been blessed with six children: Vinchu, married to Dan Lapid; Menchi; Chicho married to Riza Gervasio; Jojo, married to Bles Salvano; Ogy, married to Marifel Quiroz; and Gigi.
Jogy and Lorie were first introduced to church and social acNon acNviNes when, in 1953, Jogy was invited to the Knights of Columbus Council 1000 in Intramuros under Fr. George Wilman, SJ, while Lorie became a ‘Daughter of Isabela’. Later, Jogy was asked to form and lead the KofC Marian Council based in Marian Hospital and the KofC Our Lady of Remedies Council based in Malate Church. In 1956, Jogy and Lorie were invited to the Christian Family Movement, joining CFM Singalong Unit 2. In the early 1960s, the group lek the CFM and became the Sodality of St. Anthony, conNnuing to meet under the guidance of Jesuit spiritual directors. The Sodality Group grew to 11 couples and met every other week for more than 30 years. It became their spiritual support and a great influence in their marriage and family life.
In 1983, together with other couples, Jogy and Lorie organized the Bukas Loob Sa Diyos Community and became part of the original BLD Council of Elders. Jogy and Lorie became the heads of the Community Life Apostolate, the outreach arm of the BLD Community, instilling in BLD members compassion for the poor and forming outreach communities in Smokey Mountain, Commonwealth and Jala-Jala, Rizal. Jogy also headed the BLD Foundation and the BLD Credit Union.
Daughter Gigi, who had already been working with Fr. Ben Beltran in Smokey Mountain during her college years, got the BLD Community involved in that outreach. Later in the early 90s, Gigi, together with other members of the BLD Youth and Singles Apostolate, formed a new community for singles called CROSS. In CROSS, Gigi led the ministry that took care of a poor community in Cavite called DasmaGuild. Gigi has been helping this community for more than 25 years, supporting livelihood projects, and giving scholarships to poor but deserving students.
Son Ogy met and married another BLD Community member, Mariefel Quiroz. In the early 90s, they served in the St. James Parish Renewal Movement (SJRM) of Ayala Alabang. They have in turn been in the Praise Ministry, Teaching Ministry, and Family Life Apostolate. At present, they are part of the Council of Servant Leaders of the SJRM Community where their children are also involved.
In 1985, daughter Vinchu and spouse Dan were invited to take the CPPJ (Christian Parenting for Peace and Justice) Weekend by their Spiritual Director, Fr. Ruben Tanseco. For several decades, they considered this their primary community, where they led and served, not just as a couple but as a family, taking active part in the weekend seminars as sharers and involving themselves in the outreach projects. Dan and Vinchu were also able to draw the rest of the extended family into the CPPJ community.
Jogy’s and Lorie’s other children and children-in-law are also all involved in other outreach projects in their own sphere of influence. For example, Menchi, who works in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, has made it her advocacy to identify poor but musically gifted children, develop their talent to the extent of finding them scholarships. Riza, Chicho’s wife, who is CEO of Sunlife of Canada, has strengthened the Corporate Social Responsibility program of the Sunlife Group and actively participates in all its outreaches.
The call to serve has reached third generation of Mantarings. Almost all the 14 grandchildren have been involved in some social and spiritual action at sometime or another. For example, Ina Lapid Juan, the eldest grandchild, in all the summers as a high school student, was active in the Landas ng Karunungan (LNK) program of the Sta. Maria del la Strada parish (her school’s parish). In college, she became an acNve member of the UP-ICTUS (In Christ Thrust for University Students) and after graduation, joined the JVP (Jesuit Volunteer Program). She now teaches CLE in Xavier School Nuvali. Also worthy of mention is seventh grandchild, Migo Mantaring, who is graduating this year from the UP College of Medicine and has decided to join the Doctor to the Barrios program before starting his formal residency.
In Christ the King Parish, Jogy was a EucharisNc Minister until he had to reNre in 2014 when he reached 75 years of age. Not to be outdone, Lorie was a Lector-‐Commentator, serving mostly at the St. Igniatius chapel masses. Today, she is still an active member of the Buklod ng Panginoon, a woman’s organization of St. Ignatius. To this day, Jogy and Lorie have been faithfully going to the weekly prayer meetings of the Life in the Spirit Prayer Community of CTK parish, serving the community as worship leaders, and getting actively involved in the Life in the Spirit Seminar not just in an advisory capacity, but as “shepherds” to the incoming LSS candidates. Dan and Vinchu have been active with the CTK Parish’s Family and Life Ministry for the last 20 years, sharing their lives with engaged couples in the MVP Program. Furthermore, Vinchu is also active in the Life in the Spirit Prayer Community as one of its servant leaders, organizing and running the LSS for the parish.
Every Sunday, all 30 members of the extended family gather in the Mantaring home in St. Ignatius Village and reserve about 30 minutes of their time to pray together, in praise and thanksgiving for all the blessings of the week that had just passed, and to ask for the Lord’s active presence in their lives as they face the challenges of the week ahead. This family is indeed a “little church” built in faith and prayer, participants in the building.
